FTSE 100 slips as HSBC sparks sell-off in banking stocks

A sell-off in financial stocks following an underwhelming earnings update from HSBC kept UK shares in the negative territory on Monday, while confusion around a potential delay to Brexit and a snap election lingered. The blue chips were 0.4% lower by 0806 GMT, with HSBC responsible for more than half of the index's fall, while the FTSE 250 was largely unchanged.

HSBC slumped 3%, heading for its worst day in eight months, as its third-quarter profit missed market expectations amid ongoing macro-economic uncertainties including the Sino-U.S. trade war, Brexit and the Hong Kong protests.

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